Man Arrested For Stealing Car, Charged In February Murder

Man Arrested For Stealing Car, Charged In February Murder

Police in Lexington said two men stole a car early Thursday morning near Duncan Park. The one that was caught, LaMarius Gates was charged with that, plus complicity to commit murder from a February case.

You might call it chance that LaMarius Gates was arrested early Thursday morning after police said he was involved in stealing a car, then running from them.

With the aid of a fence Gates landed in jail with charges like drug trafficking, evading police and reckless driving.

It didn't take long for police to realize they had something more significant.

What they got, they said is a little more closure in the murder of Vincenzio Happy from February of this year.

"Um we had some information where we had some good suspect information and yesterday we were able to solidify that after developing probable cause and we charged Mr. Gates."

Add to Gates' laundry list of charges, complicity to commit murder.

"On February the ninth, earlier this year we had a homicide that happened on Lima Drive."

Police said Happy was shot multiple times in his car. He died at UK.

Gates joined another man charged in Happy's murder. Jayronn Nickerson is behind bars in Michigan, accused of pulling the trigger.

But if Gates' name sounds familiar, it's because he was charged in another shooting, on Georgetown Street this June. Those charges were dropped.

"There was probable cause to charge him and then during the court proceedings and during the adjudication of the case it was determined that that probable cause was no longer valid and so those charges were dropped.”